Biology Chapter 34

STUDY

PLAY

Ecology is the study of environmental interactions at the following levels, from least inclusive to most inclusive: _____.

organism, population, community, ecosystem

The most inclusive level of organization in nature is the _____.

biosphere

The ______ is the global ecosystem, the sum of all the planet's ecosystems, of all life and where it lives.

biosphere

An organism's environment consists of _____.

abiotic and biotic factors

The presence of a species in a particular place, and its ability to reproduce there, implies that _____.

the species is adapted to the type of abiotic and biotic environmental conditions found at that location

In most cases, the two major climatic factors affecting the distribution of organisms are _____.

rainfall and temperature

The ocean's pelagic zone contains what type(s) of organisms?

swimming and drifting organisms

major type of ecological association that occupies a broad geographic region

biome

The most nutrient-poor soils are found in _____ biomes.

tropical rain forest

Fire helps to maintain the existence of which biomes?

savanna, chaparral, and temperate grassland

The _____ biome contains land that can be used for highly productive agriculture.

temperate grassland

________ is characterized by soils made rich in nutrients by an abundance of grass roots.

Temperate grassland

Which of these is a biotic component of an environment?

bacteria on the surface of your skin

light

the availability of water

the mineral supplements you consume

the temperature where you live

bacteria on the surface of your skin

Desert owls are inactive during the day and active at night. They also have small bodies. This describes _____ adaptation to the hot and dry desert.

anatomical and behavioral

Horned lizards are desert animals that are active during the day. Their skin and kidneys are efficient at conserving water; when they get hot, they move to the shade so they can cool off. This describes _____ adaptation to the hot and dry desert.

anatomical, behavioral, and physiological

Cacti are desert plants with C4 metabolism. In addition, cacti bloom at night. This describes _____ adaptation to the hot and dry desert.

behavioral and physiological

grasses; no trees

temperate grassland

grasses; scattered trees

savanna

cone-bearing evergreen trees

coniferous forst

deciduous trees

temp. broadleaf forest

closed forest canopy many plants frow stop other plants; woody vines

tropical rain forest

dwarf shrubs; herbaceious plants; mosses and lichens

tundra

spiny, evergreen shrubs; adapted to frequent fires

chaparal

deep-rooted shrubs; water-storing succulents

desert

Which of these is characteristic of the photic zone of a freshwater biome? the presence of algae relatively cool water relatively stable water temperature dead organic matter low oxygen level

the presence of algae

The benthic zone of aquatic environments is defined as the _____.

substrate at the bottom of the body of water

The _____ biome is the largest of Earth's biomes.

marine

A(n) _____ is a region where fresh water and salt water mix.

estuary

What are the two major factors determining the distribution of terrestrial biomes?

temperature and rainfall

Which of these biomes is characterized by little rainfall?

desert

Which of these is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth? tundra coniferous forest temperate broadleaf forest temperate grassland desert

coniferous forest

Which biome is characterized by an extensive canopy that allows little light to penetrate to the ground and by the presence of epiphytes?

tropical rain forest

Which biome is characterized by the presence of permafrost?

tundra

A nonliving component of an ecosystem, such as air, water, or temperature.

abiotic factor

The region of an aquatic ecosystem beneath the photic zone, where light does not penetrate enough for photosynthesis to take place.

aphotic zone

A seafloor, or the bottom of a freshwater lake, pond, river, or stream.

benthic realm

Major types of ecological associations that occupy broad geographic regions of land or water and are characterized by organisms adapted to the particular environments.

biome

The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet's ecosystems.

biosphere

A living component of a biological community; an organism, or a factor pertaining to one or more organisms.